NRC Faults Nuke Plant in Death

Nuclear regulators have found two lapses “of substantial safety significance” in a 2013 plant accident that killed one young worker and injured eight others in Arkansas.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission categorized the inspection findings at the Arkansas Nuclear One facility as yellow, the second-highest of four levels of safety significance. The agency announced its findings Tuesday (June 24).

Million-Pound Component

Workers were moving a 525-ton component out of the Russellville plant's turbine building to replace it on March 31, 2013, when a temporary lifting assembly collapsed and caused the component to fall.

Wade Walters (left) worked for Precision Surveillance Corp. (right), a provider of heavy lift and equipment transport services. Walters was killed and eight other workers were injured by a falling million-pound component.

The incident caused a "small explosion" inside some electrical cabinets, knocking out power to key systems at both units of the plant.

Plant operator Entergy Operations Inc. declared a "Notice of Unusual Event," the lowest of four emergency classifications. There was no radiation release during the incident.

Agency inspectors determined that the assembly collapse had "resulted from the licensee’s failure to adequately review the assembly design and ensure an appropriate load test in accordance with its procedures or approved standards."

After meeting May 1 with Entergy officials, the NRC reduced the red finding to yellow.

What's Next

Entergy has 30 days to respond to the NRC's findings . After that, the NRC will "determine the appropriate level of agency oversight and notify Entergy officials of the decision in a separate letter," the agency said in a statement.

Entergy will not face monetary penalties in the case, an NRC spokesman said Wednesday.

In Navy nuclear work, we design to 1/5 of Ultimate strength or the 1/3 of Yield of the material, whichever is more limiting. additionally, we apply a minimum 150% load test for these types of handling devices. And the load test is never waved.
Lifting devices get different tests.